BRIDG_E ‘ 71

' .Across the main street is abridge, but when I‘ was in the
village last autumn it seemed a superfluous erection. There was the
bed of a river but no water, save a few trickles that could not
have the audacity to call themselves a stream. Weeds were grow-
ing-in abundance and house refuse, broken, pots and pans lay - in
the thick rank grass. Where-'was the water? Two months after-
wards I was again at Bridge. Down the river bed came a sweep-

ing- torrent, washing away everything in its course, flooding fields “
with its overflow, inundating roadways along the Elham Valley as‘
far as Littlebourne. It was the Nailbourne, one _of those’ mysterious-
streams that ‘suddenly rise and just as suddenly’. disappear. This one I
in ‘the Elham Valley rises in a field at Ottinge, close to Lyminge_

and -takes its course through the j low-lying rcountr-y until it joins
another stream that rises at Lyminge and the two combine till they

empty themselves into the river that has its source .at Littlebourne
,'and thence onward to ‘join the Stour. In‘ the Alkham valley another

Nailbourne ‘rises, and‘ in various parts of England similar intermit-
tent streams are to be found under the name of Winterboiirinesf

.So, although the ‘bridge and river cutting seems ouite unnecessary
at‘ some periods, it is absolutely essential that they be ‘in readiness
to‘ save flooding when the Nailbourne appears at Bridge.~ The old
structure, built of ; stone and brick something over a hundred years

‘ago, gives a touch of beauty to the scene‘ at this - end of the street.
The arches are low and support the high road, while a wooden -

footbridge leads us ' along the path over another part of the hollow
topa quaint little building -now used as a dairy.. ' ‘

The parish-church:-of St. Peter, "once a chapel to -the church of
Patrixbourne-——-the living of the combined places ~ is still one—stands
at the extreme end of the vi_llage on_a sunken piece of ground and

- surrounded by yews. It is compact’ in appearance, strictly neat and '

clean, its walls of black polished‘ flint and .it's stone windows all being
in such a perfect ‘state of preservation that one might mistake it for
a -modern -church. But the’ archaeologist knows better. For, although
the restoration. in 1860. : was so complete that much: of the church was
re-built,» Norman work can still be seen outside in several places.

The. tower, situated _at the south-western corner, is Norman in its.

lower part, but, the shingled spire is modern. A unique stair turret
projects on the south side, square in the lower part, but belted above,
the latter shape giving it an Oriental character. Up in the belfry
are ‘three bells, two‘ without any wording, -but the -third. is inscribed